Dispensing device for paste tubes



Dec. 4, 1945. w. MASSEY DISPENSING DEVICE FOR PASTE TUBES Filed July 10, 1944 gwuv/Mom I Mi assm WILLIfiM B.

Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNIT ED" STATE S PATENT F F [C E DISPENSING DEVICE F OR" PASTE TUBES William Bmaddus Massey, Richmond, Van A'pplicatibnl'uly 10, 1944;. Serial N0; 544,229

9? Glaims'. (C1,. 222.-103):

This invention relates toa device for. use in dispensing tooth paste andthe like from. metal or othe collapsible tubes, and. particularly to a device whichmay be used to cause the e tir contentsof a tooth. paste orother tube. to-be completely and. cleanly discharged.

Many. devices of various} types. have. been produced for dispensing pastesfr-omcollapsibletubes but so far as I am aware none of them has had any substantial use, due, I believe, to the. fact that they have. been of faulty, design, complicated to operate, or too, expensive to. appeal tothe public generally.

In. accordance. with my invention there is. provided a device, for use in dispensing paste from tooth, paste,- tubes or the. like which may be stamped or otherwise-.- formed from a single piece of metal, plastic. or other materialv having a. suitable degree of resiliency. The device has. no complicated, parts. which makes its use; diflicult and issuflicientlysmalland, inexpensive to manufactureas to. justify its being placed by manufacturersof tooth paste'in the cartonsin. which tubes of such. goods. usually are. packaged for. sale to the public.

More particularly my invention provides a pair ofpressure plates joined at, one end. to. form. a device; of generally V-shapewhich may he slid sidewiseover the closed end of a. paste tube. When the. device has. been thus applied to a paste tube and. the pressure plates pressed. together to apply pressure to opposite. sides of the tube the contentsthereof progressively are pushed forward grip the tube and prevent the device accidentally falling from the tube after, it has once been applied thereto. Thus, once the. device has been applied to. a tube it will always remain,thereon, ready for operation.

At least one, and preferably both of the pressure plates are inwardly convex, so that. when they are pressed towards one another to apply pressure to the opposite sides of the tube the effect of'a rolling action on the. tube is obtained, whereby the contents of a tube more effectively are forced forward, cleaning the tube of its contents as the device progressively moves along it.

I The invention will be further described in con- ,nection, with. the accompanying drawing but it. is

to be understood that such further description and disclosure is by, way of exemplificatior and that. the invention is not limited thereto, except to the, extent defined in thesubjoinedj claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is, a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side el'evational view, 7

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the device in place. on a collapsible tube,

Fig. 4. is a view of a blank from which the device shown in Figs. 1-3 is formed,

Fig. 5. is an end view of a modified, form of th, device embodying my invention,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of, a "still further modification,

Fig, 7 i a transverse sectional view of Fig,

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I" designates a sheet of metal, plastic or other material having sufficient resiliency to return to a preformed position whe deformed therefrom to a limited extent. The sheet 1,. shown in blank form in Fig, 4, is bent transversely at its longitudinally center portion to form spaced portions 2 and. 3 terminating in jam 4 and 5.. and pressure plates 6 and] curving outwardly from therespective jaws! and 5. The spaced portions 2. and 3 form a. trough for receiving the clamp which closes one end of a collapsible paste tube, as will be more fully described. The blank when bent to its final form is generally of .\/-shape, when viewed fromits edge, as readilymay be seen from Fig. 3. l

Each of the pressure platesfi and. I are slit along longitudinal lines 8, and 9 and transverse lines III to form tongues II and I2, which extend toward the trough formed by the spaced portions 2 and 3. The tongues, II and I2 are deformed inwardly from the plane of the pressure plates 5 and 1 so that the free ends thereof form abutments M for a purpose to be explained. I V

The bottom of the trough between thespaced portions 2 and 3 is provided with a slot l5 through which the collapsed tube may pass as the device progressively is moved forwardly along the tube.

When the device shown in Figs. 1-3 is to be 'used it is slid sidewise onto the closed end of a collapsiblepaste tube I 6 so that the trough formed by the spaced portions 2 and 3 receives the clamp H at the end of the tube. The jaws 4 and 5 normally lie sufliciently close to one another to engage the collapsed walls at the end of the tube l6 when the device is in place on the tube, as shown in Fig. 3'. To facilitate placing the device on the end of the tube the pressure plates may be slightly sprung apart until the device is in place on the tube.

When the device is in place on a paste tube the end of the tube lies opposite the slot I at the base of the trough formed by the spaced portions 2 and 3 and the free ends of the tongues l I and I2 form abutments which engage the Collapsed walls of the tube behind the clamp I! and thus prevent removal of the tube forwardly between the pressure plates 6 and I.

When it is desired to dispense paste from the free end of the tube the device is grasped with the tongues II and I2 between ones thumb and forefinger and the tongues pressed towards one another to apply pressure to opposite sides of the tube. The pressure applied by the pressureplates collapses the tube and causes a portion of the paste therein to be propelled towards the opening at the oppositeend of the tube and the discharge of an amount of the paste from the open end thereof.

Due to the general 'V-shape of the device, and to the fact that-the pressure plates 6 and I and the tongues II and I2 thereof are inwardly convex, the tongues, when pressure'is applied to them, first bear against the lowermost, portion of the tube containing the paste and progressively cause pressure to be applied longitudinally of the tube towards the discharge end. Thusthere is obtained the effect of a rolling action fromthe bottom of the portion of the tube containing the paste towards the discharge opening so that the paste in the tube always is progressively 'moved forwardly and there is no danger of a portion'of the paste in the tube being pushedbackwardly into a collapsed portion of the tube.

As the device is used to facilitate discharge of the paste from the open end of the tube, the walls of the tube-progressively are collapsed and flattened and pass through the slot I5 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. I 1 'Owing to thefact that the pressure plates 6 and I normally tend to yield or Spring from the portion where they are joined to one another, that is, from the bottom portion'of the trough opposite the ends of the slotv I5, and to the fact that the tongues I I and I2 normally tend to yield from a line joining the outer ends of the longitudinally extendingv slits 8 and 9, pressure applied tov the tongues II and I2 to force them against the side walls of a collapsible tube results in a compound movement of the tongues, with a certain amount of the movement being caused by the pressure plates 6 and I yieldin 'along their line of ,iunctureand the tongues II and I2 separately yielding along lines joining the outer ends of the slits 8 and 9. Thus, a double action is obtained so far as the tongues II and I2 are concerned.

While I find it preferable to make both of the pressure plates 6 and I inwardly convex in order to obtain the rollingaction above referred to, in some instances it may be desirable to make only one of the pressure plates 6 inwardly convex, while making the other pressure plate 1' planar, asv shown in Fig. 5. In such a constructionwhen the ton ues II and I2 are pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible paste tube the inwardly convex tongue II of the pressure plates 6 and I will'first engage the rearmost portion of the tube containing the paste and progressively bear against the more forward portions of the tube to obtain a rolling action similar to that obtained when both of the pressure plates and the tongues carried by them are inwardly conve as described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3.

In some instances it may not be necessary to slit the pressure plates to form tongues as shown in Figs. 1-3. shown an embodiment of the invention in which the pressure plates 6a and la instead of being slit to form free tongues are inwardly depressed along transverse lines I8 to form inwardly extending shoulders adapted to engage behind the clamp on the closed end of a paste tube, similar to the manner in which the free ends of the tongues form abutments to engage behind such clamp. Otherwise, the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is the same as the form shown in Figs. 1-3 and the same reference characters are used to designate similar parts.

' From the aforesaid it is apparent that the present invention provides a device which effectively may be used to completely and cleanly discharge the paste from a collapsible tube. "Also the device is inexpensive to manufacture and includes no complicated parts which might make it difficult or inconvenient to operate. The device is of such simple construction and so inexpensive to manufacture as to warrant its being placed by manufacturers of tooth paste, without additional charge, in the cartons in which tooth paste ordinarily is sold.

I claim:

'1. A dispensing device for collapsible tubes or the like comprising a pair of pressure plates con nected together along one edge and diverging from a point adjacent wheretlrey are connected together, said pressure plates being resilient and adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent where'the pressure plates are connected together to permit passage of'a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, the pressure plates being spaced from oneanother adjacent their line of juncture a distance sufficient to initially receive the clamp at the closed end of a paste tube, the pressure plates having shoulders just outwardly of the place where they are spaced to receivesuch clamp normally sufiiciently close to one another, when the device initially is placed over the closed end of a tube, to lie forwardly of the edges of such clamp and in alignment with them to function as abutments to prevent removal of the tube forwardly between the pressure plates.

2. A dispensing device for collapsible tubes or the like comprising a pair of pressure plates connected together along one edge and diverging from a point adjacent wlrere they are connected together, said pressure plates being resilient and adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent where the pressure plates are connected together to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been d scharged, the pressure plates being spaced from one another adjacent their line of juncture a distance sufficient to initially receive the clamp at the closed end of a collapsible tube, the pressure plates being slotted to formtongues extending toward-their line-ofjuncture, said tongues having their free ends sufliciently close to one another to engage opposite sides of a tube when the sides thereof are collapsed against one another, said free edges of the tongues forming abutments forwardly of the edges of such clamp and in In Figs. 6 and 7 there is anem a "3. A 1 dispensing device for collapsible paste tubes made from a single piece of resilient material bent to form a pair of-pressure-plates which diverge, from, one another adjacent their line of juncture, said pressure plates being adaptedto be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent the line of juncture of the pressure plates to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, the pressure plates be ng spaced from one another adjacent their line of juncture a distance sufficient to initially receive the clamp at the closed end of a paste tube, at least one of the pressure plates having a shoulder adjacent the place where they are spaced to receive such clamp, the distance between the inner edge of such shoulder and the portion of the other pressure plate opposite it being such that they will bear against the walls of such a tube placed between them, when the walls are collapsed aga nst one another, whereby such shoulder lies forwardly of one edge of such clamp and in alignment therewith to form an abutment to prevent removal of the tube forwardly between the pressure plates.

4. A dispensing device for collapsible paste tubes made from a single piece of resilient material bent to form a pair of pressure plates which diverge from one another adjacent their line of juncture, sa d pressure plates being adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent the line of juncture of the pressure plates to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, the pressure plates being spaced from one another adjacent their line of juncture a distance suflicient to rece ve the clam at the closed end of a paste tube, each of the pressure plates having shoulders adjacent the place w ere they are spaced to receive t e clamp at the closed end of a tube. said shoulde s forming abutments adapted to lie forwardly of the edges of such clamp and in alignment with them to form abutments to prevent removal of a tube placed between the pressure plates forwardly between them, at least one of the pres-,

sure plates being inwardly convex so that when the pressure plates are flexed by being pressed against a tube between them to discharge paste from the tube the effective force of such pressure is exerted progressively from the rear forwardly along the tube. whereby t e effect of a rolling action on the tube will be obtained.

5. A dispensing device for collapsible paste tubes made from a single piece of resilient material bent to form a pair of pressure plates which diverge from one another adjacent their line of tially receive the clamp at the closed end of a paste tube, the pressure plates being slotted to form ton ues extending toward the line of juncture of the pressure plates, said tongues being deformed from the planes of the pressure plates and having their freeendssuificiently .close toone another to. engage opposite. sides of a collapsible tube when the sides thereof are collapsed against one another to. form abutments forwardly of the edgesor such clam and in alignment with them to prevent removal of the tube forwardly between the-pressure plates, said tongues being of a width at least suificient to extend across the major portion of-a paste tube inserted between the plates.

6. A dispensing device for collapsible paste tubes made from a single piece of resilient material bent to form a pair of pressure plates: which diverge from one another adjacent their line of juncture, said pressure plates being adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent the line of juncture of the pressure plates to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, the pressure plates being spaced from one another adjacent their line of juncture a distance sufiicient to initially receive the clamp at the closed end of a paste tube, at least one of the pressure plates having an inwardly depressed portion forming a shoulder adjacent the place where the pressure plates are spaced to receive such clamp, said shoulder normally being sufficiently close to the portion of the other pressure plate opposite it to lie in alignment with the edge of such clamp and form an abutment to prevent removal of a tube forwardly between the plates.

7. A dispensing device for collapsible paste tubes of a single piece of resil ent material bent to form a pair of pressure plates which diverge from one another adjacent their line of juncture, said pressure plates being adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to d scharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent the line of juncture of the pressure plates to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, the pressure plates being, spaced from one another adjacent their line of juncture a distance suflicient to initially receive the clamp at the closed end of a paste tube, one of said pressure plates being planar, and the other of the pressure plates be ng inwardly convex so that when it is flexed by being pressed against a tube between the pressure plates to discharge paste from the tube the effective force of such pressure is exerted progressively from the rear forwardly along the tube, whereby the effect of a rolling action on the tube will be obtained.

8. A dispensing device for collapsible tubes or the like of a single piece of resilient material folded to form a pair of resilient pressure plates connected together along one edge and diverging from a point adjacent where they are connected together, said pressure plates being adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a col lapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, said device having a slot adjacent the fold thereof of such dimensions as to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged, at least one of the pressure plates being inwardly convex the like comprising a pair of pressure plates connected together along one edge and diverging from a point adjacent where they are connected together, said pressureplates being resilient and adapted to be pressed against opposite sides of a collapsible tube placed between them to discharge paste therefrom, the pressure plates being spaced from one another adjacent where the are connected together to form a trough of sufiicient width initially to receive the clamp at the closed 0 end of a paste tube, and being sufficientl close to one another just forwardly of such trough as normally to engage opposite sides of a tube when the sides thereof are collapsed against one another, said trough having a slot extending longitudinally thereof and of such dimensions as to permit passage of a collapsed portion of a tube from which paste has been discharged.

WILLIAM BROADDUS MASSEY. 

